It is often desirable to provide for adjustability in the height of mounting horizontal brackets secured to vertically extending standards mounted to a wall surface or other mounting location, as in the case of shelving systems. In order to adapt the shelving systems to particular requirements, the common approach to providing such a capability is an incremental system which prongs on the bracket are inserted into a selected set of slot series formed along the standard.
Such approach limits the selection of the particular adjusted position of the bracket to the incremental positions corresponding to the slot series, and it would of course be advantageous if an infinite adjustment of the bracket position were possible.
Furthermore, such bracket-standard mounting arrangements are often incorporated in shelving systems in which aesthetic appeal is important and the provision of visible openings reduces the aesthetic appeal of the bracket-standard system.
This being the case, there has heretofore been provided a bracket-standard mounting arrangement in which a frictional interengagement between the bracket and the standard is established at an adjusted position and which frictional interengagement may be controllably established such as to provide a convenient adjustment of the height with respect to the standard and the frictional interengagement established at the selected height to secure the bracket in place.
One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,033,540 and 4,098,482. The bracket-standard mounting arrangement disclosed therein provides for such infinite adjustment, but this approach involves the use of separate parts in addition to the bracket and standard, which increases the cost of packaging and manufacturing of the system which may be a critical factor in the marketing of shelving systems incorporating this mounting arrangement.
Some of such bracket-standard mounting arrangements include protuberances or ears formed on a rear portion of the bracket which is retained within a box channel standard, and which serves to produce a fulcrum point for frictional engagement or other securement of the bracket within the box channel. Protuberances are retained by the sidewall portions of the box channel adjacent the central slot through which the bracket gusset portion extends. In order to assemble the bracket to the standard, the bracket must be passed into the open end of the standard.
This latter requirement entails several disadvantages. Firstly, a clearance space must be provided at the top or bottom of the standard which complicates the installation and may possibly be of less aesthetic appeal.
Also, the removal of a bracket intermediate two other brackets necessitates removal of one of the other brackets in order that the intermediate bracket may be removed. This also applies if a bracket is to be added to the system.
In the event a top or bottom clearance space cannot be provided, the only alternative is to remove the bracket when adding or removing brackets from the system.
Other such infinitely adjustable shelving bracket-standard mounting arrangements have been devised which generally have disadvantages of low aesthetic appeal, the requirements of precision manufacturing of the components, which causes an excessive increase in the manufacturing cost of such systems, or which similarly requires separate parts to establish the frictional interengagement or the use of relatively elaborate bracket or standard configurations which will likewise increase the cost of the unit.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bracket-standard mounting arrangement in which ready and convenient infinite adjustment of the position of the bracket with respect to the standard is afforded.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a bracket-standard mounting arrangement which does not involve the use of components other than the bracket and standard, and in which the bracket and standard are configured simply so as to be constructed of relatively non-critical shape and dimensions such that it may be manufactured at relatively low cost.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such a bracket-standard mounting arrangement which has a high degree of aesthetic appeal and which is very convenient in use such as to be adapted to shelving system applications for home use.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a bracket-standard mounting arrangement in which the bracket is trapped within the box channel standard, but which does not necessitate a clearance space in the ends of the standard for assembling the bracket to the standard and which enables removal or addition of brackets intermediate other installed brackets.